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∂AIL Mr. David Packard↓Hewlett-Packard Co.↓Palo Alto, Calif.∞
Dear Mr. Packard:

	Enclosed is a research proposal for which I would like to
get private support.  The National Science Foundation has seen
the enclosed draft and has informally reacted favorably.  However,
they want to submit it to the Office of Telecommunications Policy
to see how OTP likes what might come out of the proposed development.

	As is described at length in the proposal, I want to develop
protocols so that any computer implementing them, will be able to
call any other on the ordinary dial-up network, and users will
be able to transmit messages, copy files, and log in just as on
the ARPAnet.  This can all be done without any change in existing
telephone facilities or tariffs, but %3if it becomes popular, it
may have a profound effect on some existing and planned communications
businesses%1.  Specifically, it may wipe out Western Union, and it
will contribute - through the home computers that are becoming
increasingly popular - to the replacement of letters by
electronic communication.  In the current super-regulatory
political climate, the bureaucratic ethic is likely to favor
studying the matter to death - postponing the technical
research until twenty sociologists have written twenty papers
about its potential effects.  Indeed most NSF support in related
areas has been for technological assessment rather than for
technological accomplishment, and they have told me that they
would prefer a substantial sociological component in this proposal.

	%3Therefore, I think it would be better to confront the
government and the technological assessors with a %2fait accompli%1.
If the protocols are developed, debugged and published, they
will go into widespread use, because they will give most of
the benefits of the much envied ARPAnet without
the politics and high costs that have proved insuperable to many
potential users.  I think that the regulatory attitude toward something
already in widespread use would be different than that toward
something that might easily be choked off by a regulation while
the officials ponder.

	I am writing to you, because your public statements have
led me to hope that this might fall into the category
for which you would recommend private
support of universities.

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	I would welcome an opportunity to discuss the matter.

.sgn


P.S. The budget of the proposal reflects what NSF said they might
go for.  The relation between what could be accomplished and
money spent should be discussed.